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Kilshannig |
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Pictures & stories |
Foto's met een verhaal |
History |
Historie |
Celtic Music Festival, Stadsgehoorzaal Vlaardingen, November 17-18, 2007 |
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| The completely renovated "Stadsgehoorzaal" in Vlaardingen again housed a varied and dynamic Celtic Music Festival (formerly: Celtic Music Fundraising Festival; see elsewhere on this page) with Dougie Maclean, Kadril and The Fureys as "big names". Kilshannig was there too, and below you'll find some impressions of this very successful festival | |
| In het geheel verbouwde "Vlaardingen Theater", nu weer onder de oorspronkelijke naam "Stadsgehoorzaal" vond het Celtic Music Festival plaats, de opvolger van het Irish Music Fundraising Festival (zie ook elders op deze pagina!). Ditmaal waren grote namen als Dougie Maclean, Kadril en The Fureys geprogrammeerd. Van de Nederlandse bands was Kilshannig wederom van de partij, en hieronder staan enkele impressies van dit zeer geslaagde festival | |
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Kilshannig |
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On Saturday as well as on Sunday,
the program was rounded off with a rousing finale where all the artists
were asked to appear on stage ... Zowel zaterdag als zondag werd het programma afgesloten met een swingende finale waarbij alle artiesten op het grote podium werden uitgenodigd ... Photo: © Meta van Assen |
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and here you can see members of
Kilshannig together with Dougie Maclean, Eddy Furey and Davey Arthur at
the Saturday finale en hier zie je enkele leden van Kilshannig met Dougie Maclean, Eddy Furey en Davey Arthur tijdens de zaterdag-finale Photo: © Meta van Assen |
| Davey Arthur, with Dougie Maclean
and Christopher Delaney Davey Arthur, met Dougie Maclean en Christopher Delaney Photo: © Meta van Assen |
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Here the Sunday finale, with
Davey Arthur, Louis and Frans Kouwets from Kilshannig and Dougie Maclean.
Hier de finale op zondag, met Davey Arthur, Louis en Frans Kouwets en Dougie Maclean Photo: © Henk Zijderhand |
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afterparty in the theater ... Op zaterdag was er een afterparty in het theater ... Photo: © Harry van Dijk) |
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| where Kilshannig played "Ready
for the Storm", with Dougie Maclean listening attentively! waar Kilshannig "Ready for the Storm" speelde, met tussen het publiek de aandachtig luisterende schrijver/componist Dougie Maclean! |
Photo's: © Harry van Dijk) |
| And we continued till late in the
lobby bar at the hotel ... En we gingen door tot in de late uurtjes in de bar van het hotel ... |
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Paul "Diesel" Dezille of the Fureys and Rob (Photo: © Meta van Assen) |
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We hope to meet you all again next year! Volgend jaar zijn we graag weer van de partij! |
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Kilshannig in Ireland, April 28 - May 7, 2006 |
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Some impressions of a very successful week in Barefield, Co. Clare, Ireland, socially as well as musically. It was our first trip in the new line-up, with new band-members and new band-member-partners! For personal reasons, Ron was accompanied by of good friend of his (and of ours!): Hans den Bezemer, member of Celtic band "Garlic" |
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| Impressies van een zeer geslaagde week in Barefield, Co. Clare, Ierland, zowel wat de sfeer in de band betreft als in muzikaal opzicht. Het was ons eerste bezoek in de nieuwe samenstelling, met nieuwe bandleden en nieuwe bandlidpartners! Om persoonlijke redenen liet Ron zich vergezellen door Hans den Bezemer, muzikant in de Keltische band "Garlic"en een goede vriend, ook van de anderen | |
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We again stayed in a nice, big
house, this time in Barefield, only a few miles from the town of Ennis Zoals gewoonlijk verbleven we weer in een
comfortabel, groot huis, dit keer in Barefield, |
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Ron immediately felt at home in the kitchen, here helping to prepare our daily full Irish breakfast Ron voelde zich onmiddellijk thuis in de keuken, hier helpend ons dagelijks Iers ontbijt te verzorgen |
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In the afternoon, the boys are warming up for the nightly session (you can faintly see the reflection of Jan playing his bodhràn in the window), ... In de namiddag warmt de band zich op voor de avond-sessie (je kunt het spiegelbeeld van Jan met bodhràn zien in het raam), ... |
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while our "Queens of the kitchen" are preparing meal, stimulating their appetite with one or two gin-oranges! terwijl onze "keukenprinsessen" het eten bereiden, ondertussen hun trek stimulerend met een of twee glazen gin-orange! |
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On Wednesday we bought our traditional leg of lamb in Lisdoonvarna! Op woensdag kochten we volgens traditie een lamsbout in Lisdoonvarna! |
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We visited a few castles: here Trim Castle, on our way from Dublin to Ennis ... We bezochten ook enkele kastelen: hier Trim Castle, onderweg van Dublin naar Ennis ... |
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and lots of churchyards: here near Ennistimon, ... en een hele serie kerkhoven: hier bij Ennistimon, ... |
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the old abbey near
Gort, with cathedral and round tower, ...
de oude abdijruïne bij Gort, met kathedraal en vluchttoren, ... |
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and we saw several high
crosses: here both faces of the high cross en we zagen verschillende voorbeelden van het zogenaamde "high cross": hier beide zijden van het high cross bij het kasteel van Dysert O'Dea |
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We also roamed all over the Burren, with its peculiar and extensive limestone formations ... We zwierven over de Burren, met de typische uitgestrekte kalkformaties ... |
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where we gazed at the beautiful flowers ... waar we ons vergaapten aan de prachtige bloemen ...
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such as Oxlip (Primula elatior), ... zoals Slanke sleutelbloem (Primula elatior), ... |
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and Early Purple Orchid (Orchis mascula), ... en Mannetjesorchis (Orchis mascula), ... |
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once more visited the Poulnabrone
dolmen, ...
en we bezochten nogmaals het Poulnabrone dolmen, ... |
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and again enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the coast near Doolin, ... en genoten weer van de prachtige omgeving aan de kust bij Doolin, ... |
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with numerous, small natural aquariums near the shoreline, bringing the two brother-biologists of the band into ecstasies! met talrijke kleine natuurlijke aquariums aan de vloedlijn, die bij de beide biologen-broers in de band voor de nodige opwinding zorgden! |
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We couldn't resist the attraction of the Cliffs of Moher, ... We konden ook de aantrekkingskracht van de Cliffs of Moher weer niet weerstaan, ... |
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and weren't affraid of some drops of "liquid sunshine", as shown by Rob and Hans, here below en we waren ook niet bang voor wat "vloeibare zonneschijn", zoals hieronder gedemonstreerd door Rob en Hans |
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The sight of the cross of Spancil Hill reminded us of the opening track of our first album De aanblik van het kruispunt bij Spancil Hill bracht de openingstrack van ons eerste album in herinnering |
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In Ennis, we self-evidently visited the famous music shop Custy's, that had just moved to a new location; Louis bought an expensive tunable D-whistle here, ... In Ennis moesten we uiteraard de beroemde muziekwinkel Custy's bezoeken, die juist was verhuisd naar een nieuw pand; Louis kocht hier een prijzige stembare D-fluit, ... |
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and in Galway we scrutinized "The Four Corners", ... en in Galway doorzochten we de bekende muziekwinkel "The Four Corners", ... |
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but the highlight was the purchase by Hans of a beautiful, hand-built McIlroy guitar at Kieran Moloney's in Galway (we won't show you the prize tag, but the instrument is definitively worth is prize) Maar hoogtepunt was de aankoop door Hans van een prachtige, handgebouwde McIlroy gitaar bij Kieran Moloney's in Galway (we laten het prijskaartje maar niet zien, maar het instrument is de prijs alleszins waard) |
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And we played at various sessions! En we speelden op verschillende sessies! |
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Here our very first session, in Kinvara, ... Hier de eerste in Kinvarra, ... |
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a session in Brogan's, in Ennis, ... een sessie in Brogan's, in Ennis, ... |
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where we played more than once, ... waar we meer dan eens speelden, ... |
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Cruises in Ennis, ... Cruises, ook in Ennis, ... |
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and Bofey Quinn's in Corofin en Bofey Quinn's in Corofin |
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We are already looking forward to our next stay in Ireland! We kijken nu alweer uit naar ons volgende verblijf in Ierland! |
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De Schakel, March 31, 2006 |
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Kilshannig playing at the 5th
St. Patrick-days concert organized by "The Irish Spirit",
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The Irish Cottage, November 20, 2005 |
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Kilshannig gigging in
Folkclub "The Cottage Life", in Pub/Restaurant The Irish
Cottage, Het Verlaat. |
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Bergen op Zoom, October 1, 2005
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Some impressions of one of our
very first gigs in the new line-up, in O'Carolan's Pub in Bergen op Zoom
(Pictures by Meta Kaay) |
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May, 2005 |
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| With the coming of Ron van Leeuwen, who we had met by chance shortly before, and Louis, Frans' brother, a new formation was born, and their musical potential and prospects induced Rob to reconsider his decision and to stay with Kilshannig! | |
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After 6 months of adapting the repertoire, adapting the
arrangements, and rehearsing over and over again, the new line-up of
Kilshannig is now ready to storm the stages! The sound of the ballads is
as strong as ever, now accompanied by the characteristic tones of Louis'
concertina or the melancholic melodies of his low whistle. Tunes have gained an extra dimension by both the concertina
and Ron's fiddle, mandola, bouzouki or mandoline!
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Kilshannig in their new
line-up, rehearsing their repertoire. |
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Judging from this
picture, the atmosphere in the band is OK! |
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December, 2004 |
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In December 2004, shortly after the gig in Vlaardingen mentioned below, and after a long time of successful teamwork, the band again suffered misfortune. Kilshannig in fact faced the biggest crisis since the band was formed. The close cooperation between Chiel and the other members of Kilshannig came to an end, and even Rob was questionning his commitment. Since both Judith and Mariëtte had also left, survival of the band was in serious danger ...
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Vlaardingen, November 27, 2004
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| Below, we show two pictures of our gig at the 6th Vlaardingen Festival. This time we were asked to open the festival on the main stage. It sure was the highlight of our existence as a band, and at te same time our very last performance in this - already reduced - line-up ... | |
| Kilshannig in
Vlaardingen with from left to right Chiel (on upper picture with soprano
sax), Frans, Rob and Jan |
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December, 2003In December 2003, Geert Titsing, our renowned fiddle-player and member of the band since 1995, most regrettably decided to leave the band. Since a series of gigs had already been scheduled by that time, we were very happy that Judith Kolen, a dazzling Donegall-style fiddler, and Mariëtte van Kooten, a breath-taking box-player, were ready to fill in the gap (see their picture)! From the very beginning, however, it was clear that their contribution would last for only a few months.
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Geert fiddling in full dedication at
the 3rd Vlaardingen festival
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Judith (left) and
Mariëtte |
March, 2003
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Kilshannig playing at a Saint Patrick Day's festival in The Hague, March 2003 |
Kilshannig in Ireland, April 26 - May 5, 2002
Another unforgettable week in Ireland, with nice weather, a beautiful scenery, traditional music everywhere, and a pint now and then. |
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We stayed in the perfect house of the Linnane's, in Killnaboy, Co. Clare (where we also stayed in 1996!) ... |
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with a
nice and comfortable living-room, |
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| an ideal kitchen...
(Note the bottle of SPA - mineral water on the table, it has been there the whole week long!) |
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| and close to Corofin, Kilfenora, The Burren, The Cliffs of Moher, etc., etc.,... |  |
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and Pubs! |
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session in Daly's Pub, Corofin
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| A session in Vaughan's Pub, Kilfenora, with Christy Barry and Conor McCarthy | |
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Kilshannig at the 3rd
Vlaardingen festival, November 2001,
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De Heeren van Beijerland, March 24, 2001On Saturday March 24, Kilshannig had a gig in café-restaurant "De Heeren van Beijerland", in Oud-Beijerland. In this place, the small but pleasant and very well stocked shop "Gaelforce" is established, where you can find everything related to traditional and contemporary Celtic music. The owner, Barend van Straten (see his picture below), had invited us for an unplugged gig in his shop on Saturday afternoon. He treated us and the enthousiastic audience to beer and sandwiches, and the atmosphere was great. (Photographs, except the one showing the band, by Peter Verkerk) |
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Kilshannig in "Gaelforce" |
Barend van Straten |
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| Maria Postma, sound engineer with the band, in conversation with Michael and Martha Teekens (the "Lady in red"), also known of "The Irish Spirit". |
| De Heeren van Beijerland... | |
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Rob and Frans, obviously singing Tommy Fleming's version of "Hard Times", favourite song of the "Old Beijerland folk scene" |
The enthousiastic audience, with Barend van Straten in front! |
Also there: Ernst Verbeek, the organiser of the "Vlaardingen Festival" (see below)! |
Community centre "Het Noot", Purmerend, December 17, 2000On this Sunday afternoon, Kilshannig did an unplugged performance in a cozy Christmas atmosphere in this small place. |
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Chiel, Geert and Jan. |
| Rob en Frans. |  |
Vlaardingen, November 25/26 2000 |
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| On November 25 and 26, the second Irish Music Fundraising Festival was organised in Vlaardingen, by Ernst Verbeek (with the help of many others). Aim of this festival was raising money for palliative attendance of people whose lives draw near to an end. Many great names in Irish music were contracted, including Niamph Parsons, Liam O'Flynn and Shantalla. The festival was a great success, and the follow-up is programmed on November 3 and 4, 2001. Kilshannig will be there too! | |
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| Kilshannig in Vlaardingen. |
| Rob and Arty McGlynn, the great guitar player. |  |
Kilshannig millennium-tour, May 2000In 2000, Kilshannig spent the first week of May in a house at Lynch's farm, near Kilcummin, a few kilometers north of Killarney, Co. Kerry. From there they made many trips, even to the very place Kilshannig, and they played a lot in different places. The pictures shown below are all from that very memorable week. |
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The band at the remains of the church in Kilshannig. For Geert and Chiel this was the very first time that they set foot on the native ground of the band! |
| We also went back to see the house near the shore, where we stayed in the summer of 1992 (see the cover of our CD "Kilshannig"). |  |
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Rob and Chiel making music in the evening-sun, in the back-garden of Lynch's farm. The weather was nice, the beer almost finished... |
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| This picture shows Kilshannig playing on a wall north of Fahamore, west of Rough Point, with the Magharee Islands in the background (see the map on the history page). Note that the location is the very same as that on the "Buskers" CD-page! |
| One evening we played in a local pub in Kilcummin, near Lynch's farm. Chiel obviously is much more interested in the Guinness than in the music... |  |
| On Friday we were invited to join a session in Knocknagree. On our way to this place we came across a pub called "The Farmers Bar" in Millstreet, and we decided to have dinner there. |
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| While our meals were prepared we discovered a guitar, a bodhrán and a tin whistle on the mantelshelf! Of course we had to... "Do you mind..." The landlord Paddy Kelly, also known as "Paddy the Pig", was delighted: since he started the pub we were the very first to take the instruments and make traditional music! |
| Kilshannig at a session in O'Connell's pub in Knocknagree, Co. Cork, where they met Johnny O'Leary (see the pictures below). |  |
| It was a great evening of singing, playing and story-telling. Frans did his a capella version of "My Youngest Son", and you could have heard a pin drop. | |
| Johnny O'Leary has a great reputation in Irish traditional music. We found out why: he still plays the C#/D accordion fast and steady, and he still plays Kerry polka's. (Eltjo would have loved being there that evening...) |  |
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Rob and Johnny O'Leary |
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